


Searching for the Legend

by Blackthorne (Stellar_Shiva)



Series: Searching for the Legend [1]
Category: Lollipop Chainsaw
Genre: Angst, Gen, Lewis Legend - Freeform, Murder, Occult, Prequel, Searching for the Legend, Series, Zombies, dark purveyors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-05 04:01:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/718654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stellar_Shiva/pseuds/Blackthorne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three girls are asked to research any event in Milwaukee's past for a school project. But when one comes up with the idea to research an urban legend, they may just get more than they bargained for...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Revving the Engine

_“The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and must therefore be treated with great caution.”_  
 _\---J. K. Rowling_

Rain filtered through the clouds on a dreary Milwaukee morning. The cold autumn air wove through the trees in front of a dated two-story building. Teens shuffled through the entrance while a line of cars snaked around the campus of Copperlane High School.

Jostled between the throng of students, Mckayla Valentine clutched her umbrella. Wool leggings and the bulky cable knit sweater were doing little to keep her warm. The wind cut under her umbrella, and droplets of rain clung to strands of her wavy hair. So much styling wasted by the rain, she thought, already feeling exasperated when she reached the door and paused to close her umbrella before stepping inside. She then felt something cold stab through her, something odd as she had been slightly warmer mere moments ago... She shrugged it off, and continued on her way.

The corridor was littered with students rummaging through their lockers, and talking to their friends about the usual high school nonsense. With long purposeful steps Mckayla navigated the halls, oblivious to the politics that surrounded her. When she finally arrived at her locker, she let out a sigh. Someone had butterflied her lock. Why did people waste their time with this? She grabbed the lock and tilted it upward, ducking her head to enter the combination. It took about five tries before the lock finally clicked open. She slid it off, and opened her aged locker door. The interior was plain save for a magnetic vanity mirror on the door and a few photographs of the music festival she had taken the previous summer. Her locker was fairly tidy if not a little cluttered.

Mckayla unzipped her backpack and began swapping out books, remembering to carefully maneuver around her digital photography camera. Even if it was in a case, she didn’t want to wreck it. Just as she moved to close the locker door another hand slammed it shut. Mckayla jumped and yelped. The old hinges gave way and broke, the door thrusting inwardly with a dent. She pulled feebly on the handle, which was now jammed shut thanks to the aged metal. Even the door had warped slightly from the force. Familiar laughter filled her ears and added to her growing irritation. She turned to face the Latina who owned it.

“I got'cha good today, Kayla!” her friend said with a grin. Mckayla’s green eyes sparked with anger. “Do you not see what you just did? You broke my locker!” she shot back. The outburst did not faze Chrissy, who leaned coolly against a nearby locker and chided her friend, “I’m just keeping you on your toes; it’s good for you! Though I didn’t mean to bust your locker.” she admitted honestly, adjusting her messenger bag. Mckayla pointedly slid the lock back into place. Her broken locker was not the true source of her frustration, but rather the way Chrissy had been acting towards her outside of school. Rather than argue with Chrissy in the hallway though, Mckayla stomped purposefully to class.

  
She could hear the sounds of Chrissy’s boots hitting the floor as she slowed to a walk beside her. “Look, I didn’t know it’d irritate you so much.” Chrissy admitted, unzipping her purple leather jacket and draping it over her shoulder. Mckayla shot the girl a cold look. “There’s a difference between joking, and being an asshole. Learn it!” Mckayla huffed as she opened the classroom door. So much for not losing her temper, she thought wryly.

  
The bell rang, and Mckayla growled a bit as she went inside. Chrissy followed behind her, until she turned to head for her seat in the back. Mckayla took her own seat by the window, silently wishing there was something better to look at than the rain. She could hear Chrissy snickering and giggling with her girls, talking about God knows what. Chrissy had been her friend since childhood, but ever since she got into the Rockabilly scene three years ago she had become a different person. Her head was stuck in the past, namely the 1950s, and it got frustrating. Chrissy would talk obsessively about the music, the dances, the scene and especially the Greaser movies she had seen. She changed almost everything about herself, including her attitude towards people. Chrissy was meaner and would go pick fights with anyone she disagreed with. Sure she had a short temper, but the fuse was now cut shorter. People had to walk on eggshells when talking to her.

She threw open her textbook to some random page and stared at it. Mckayla heard the teacher’s distinctive shuffle coming towards her desk and saw his shriveled hand flip her book to the right chapter.

Mr. Saunders continued to droll about World War 2. Rolling her eyes, she then passed her gaze over to Maya. The shorter girl had slipped a Wiccan book inside her textbook and was engrossed in it.

Feeling eyes on her, her long dark hair moved over her shoulder as she turned to meet Mckayla’s gaze. Maya smiled and waved before ducking back to her book. Mckayla returned the smile. Maya was a quiet, gentle girl; Mckayla had met her in the 11th grade at a school dance. They both had shown up in frilly dresses and without dates. They had bonded over how stupid the whole thing was. After that night, her and Maya stayed friends.

  
Mckayla shook herself; she had to pull her head out of the clouds. She did not want Mr. Saunders to ride her ass about not paying attention. She tried to force herself to care for about 5 minutes before she gave up. Mckayla opened her notebook and took notes instead. After 10 minutes, a folded up piece of notebook paper slid onto her open textbook. She quickly slipped it under her desk and opened it as quietly as possible and saw Maya’s handwriting.

_Booring! Mr. Saunders can make me snore! Are you ok? Did Chrissy do something again?_

She quickly scrawled a reply before passing it back to Maya:

  
 _Chrissy pissed me off this morning being her usual self. Want do something after school?_

The other girl read it quickly and wrote back:

  
 _I can’t! I have to go work on my lab write-up for AP Biology at the library. And Chrissy really needs to quit being a bitchmuffin! She can make it really hard to stay positive sometimes! One day her bad attitude will get her, though. Bad vibes come back._

That familiar shuffle came back and Mckayla stashed the note under her skirt, flipping the fabric over the paper. It was hidden from view as Mr. Saunders came by, glancing at her notebook and nodding to himself. Maya gave a silent giggle as the aged teacher passed, kicking a foot against Emily’s desk to wake her up.

  
Mckayla cringed when he got to the back and busted Chrissy for note passing. She got in even more trouble for cussing at him in Spanish and was sent to the office. 

The bell rang. Mckayla sighed in relief and grabbed Maya’s note before standing. She walked a short ways and arrived at her next class. Smiling, she held the door open for Maya as the shorter girl hurried inside.

  
Following behind her, Mckayla entered and went to her desk by the wall. Maya plopped down in the seat next to her, taking out her books. She smiled before leaning in to whisper, “Don’t let Chrissy get you down, ‘Kayla.” She shifted in her seat, leaning down to reply. “I know, I know. She can be such a bitch.”

  
“Language!” A strong voice reprimanded. The voice belonged to Mr. Mumford, the Senior English and AP English teacher. Mr. Mumford was an older teacher with paprika hair and sharp brown eyes that peered out from behind reading glasses. Mckayla had always found him intimidating; despite his grandfatherly appearance and the cane he required to walk. He had the reputation for being a nice guy, but people say he was seen at Wal-Mart last year beating a pick-pocket into the parking lot with his cane. “Please settle down, ladies; you’re early.” He spoke as he moved to the white board.

  
“Sorry Mr. Mumford!” Mckayla said, slightly flustered she had been overheard. He nodded, uncapping a marker. Maya smiled; Mr. Mumford was her favorite teacher. They were also next door neighbors, and she would sometimes go over and help his wife around the house. “He’s such a cool guy.” Maya whispered loudly. Mr. Mumford smiled as he wrote the lesson on the white board.  
Mckayla would have to agree. He didn’t put up with any bullshit in his class, but he wasn’t overly strict either. And if your work was done, he’d let you text!

  
Mckayla looked outside the window at the dreary rain, Chrissy creeping into her thoughts. She usually meant well, but she came across as an asshole. This version of her friend was far different than the one she had grown up with. Old Chrissy was a strong but caring friend. Now? She only dreamed of the 1950s and believed she was too good for everyone else. Thank God Mckayla met Maya, or she’d be totally alone in this school. She sighed, her restless mind unable to decide what to do with her friend.

  
The other students filed in and sat down chattering, oblivious to the depression that fell over Mckayla. Maya was busy chatting with Emily, whom also had this class with them. She was lost in her thoughts, thinking about Chrissy when a loud and distinct finger snap rang through the classroom.

  
Everyone fell silent; Mr. Mumford did that when he wanted attention, and the students learned that it was best to give attention when he asked for it. “Morning class.” he greeted. He got a mixed bag of grumbles and sleepy greetings in return.  
“Let’s take roll. Emily Lang?”

  
The honey blond girl on the other side of Maya put her hand up. “Here.”

“Maya Smith?”

  
She stuck her hand up as high as it could go. “Here!”

He called out several names before he got to Mckayla.

  
“Mckayla Valentine?”

“Here.” she said dejectedly.

  
“Christina Vasquez…Christina Vasquez...” Mr. Mumford called, glancing around for the greaser girl.

“Cut class again I see…” he murmured to himself.  
He returned to his desk and jotted attendance in his book before walking up to the white board, turning to face the class.

  
“Today, all of you are being assigned a project.” Mr. Mumford spoke, pausing for the groans that inevitably followed before continuing. “The project will count towards your service hours for graduation, however. So you’d better listen up.” Maya and Mckayla paid rapt attention now.

  
Mr. Mumford continued, “You will be working on a detailed report on any event that took place in Milwaukee. Any event from 1990 and back will do.” He motioned to the white board, which had details about the report structure and content. “You must have at least one interview, cite newspaper articles or books and reputable websites.” He paused, surveying the class for a moment as lightening cracked the sky outside. “Today is September 28th. You have until October 30th to turn it in. As always, I will be deciding your groups.” The teacher looked around the room, waiting for any signs of discontent. When he was met with silence, he looked pleased.

  
Mr. Mumford grabbed some sheets of paper off the desk, and began passing them out. “Printed on these will be your groups. You have the rest of the class period to talk with your group and plan. I want to know by Wednesday what your groups will be doing. First come, first serve!”

  
In a matter of minutes, Maya and Mckayla got their sheets and groaned. “Man! We have to be in a group with Chrissy!” the hippie girl whined. Mckayla’s sentiments were the same. The last time they were in a group together was for Mrs. Baxter’s chemistry class last year. Chrissy had just thrown chemicals into the beaker and the mixture poured all over the table, and she had only bitched because it ruined her leather jacket! “This isn’t good.” Mckayla said dejectedly. Then, she added, grumbling: “But we’re going to have to do this if we want to graduate. We should probably pick an easy topic that Chrissy can follow.”

Maya tapped her on the shoulder. “Turn around!” she hissed.

  
Mckayla obeyed and her eyes widened. Chrissy was standing right there, for God knows how long, in her black top, black jeans and her leather jacket draped over one shoulder. The greaser girl just cracked a knowing grin before pulling up a chair. “Sup Kayla, Maya? What easy topic are we doin’? ‘Cause the way it’s looking right now, I get the feelin’ I’m the retard of this outfit. Or are ya just sayin' that you guys are the ones that need the easy topic so ya don’t fuck this up?”

Both Maya and Mckayla were speechless, being caught red-handed. Neither of them could meet Chrissy’s eyes for a moment, while Chrissy made no effort to disguise her pleasure. Mckayla’s temper flared, but she stuffed it away.

“So you decided to show up, Miss Vasquez.” Mr. Mumford’s voice stated from behind her.

  
The three of them jumped, turning to face their teacher. He merely lofted a brow. “Is there a problem, Mr. Mumford? I was at the principal’s office.” Chrissy asked with a grin tugging on the corner of her mouth.

He merely looked at her, unimpressed. “If you want to pass this class, Miss Vasquez, you’d better start coming. Also, do your work or you’ll be in loserville while everyone else graduates. Doesn’t look good on a greaser girl, does it?”

Chrissy slumped a bit in her chair and said nothing, folding her arms across her chest. Mr. Mumford then turned to the other girls. “If you have any issues with Miss Vasquez, then I suggest that you resolve them quickly. As a reminder, the three of you will be sharing a grade.” With that, he moved over to speak with Emily’s group.

  
There was a long pause, and the three girls looked at each other. The first one to speak up was Chrissy.

“Look, he’s right. We gotta to work together, and if the two of you hate me that much, I won’t talk to you again after this is over. “  
Maya chimed in. “It’s not that Chrissy. It’s just...”

  
“Can we not talk about this in AP English?” Mckayla cut in, annoyed.

  
Chrissy sat back. “Ok then, which one of you has any ideas for this dumb project?”

  
The three sat there, thinking for a moment as the storm outside caused the lights to flicker. Maya chewed the end of her pencil, Chrissy twirled a piece of her curly black hair and Mckayla doodled in her notebook. After 10 minutes, Chrissy’s eyes lit up and a grin curled over her face. The other two looked over. “Do you have an idea?” Maya asked.

  
“You bet I do!” Chrissy said, cockily.

  
“Then what is it?” Mckayla inquired.

  
“This idea is so good; I’ll even forgive the two of you for being bitches to me. My idea is this: we’re going to cover the death of Lewis Leggenda!”

“What?!” Maya and Mckayla said together.

  
“No one else is gonna to do it, I’ll guarantee it! It’s also interesting!” Chrissy spoke excitedly.

  
Mckayla sat in shock, dropping her pen. Everyone in this side of Milwaukee knew the story of Lewis Leggenda, the greaser who died in a motorcycle accident in the 50’s. That wasn’t unusual; what was weird was that no one ever found his body, but only his wrecked bike. And after him one of his little brothers died, his girlfriend died and his best friend all died in the span of a year. People said the Leggendas were cursed, and anyone who got too involved disappeared too. As a result, the whole affair was talked about in hushed tones behind closed doors. The people who ended up disappearing were never mentioned again, as if they did not exist at all. Even the police did not investigate it anymore.

  
And yet she had heard the story many times at sleepovers; it was a Copperlane High favorite, especially among the cheerleaders. The story also seemed to change with each person. Some said that if you went to Devil’s Finger where he died and performed the Leggenda Dare that his body would appear and drag you to hell. Others said that he rides the streets at night on the day he died, and he’d chase you down before ripping you apart. From there, it seemed there were a million variants. One thing is true, though: he had quite the reputation and a lot of people in this part of town either knew him or knew of him. So getting interviews wouldn’t be that hard hopefully, and there were newspaper articles on him and the Leggenda family. Resources would be no problem! The only downside? The whole urban legend was nightmare fuel, but she could live with that.

“Not a bad idea.” Mckayla reasoned, looking over to Maya. “What do you think?”

  
Maya had paused momentarily, brushing the bangs from her eyes before looking at the two of them gravely. “I think it’s a mistake.”

“Why? ‘Cause of the ghost stories? I’m not a chicken!” Chrissy spoke indignantly.

  
“There is a reason people only talk about him in whispers, Chrissy. He wasn’t the nicest guy alive and he won’t be in death!” she shot back.

“Then how come all those reporters didn’t drop dead?”

  
Maya slammed her book shut and glared at Chrissy. “I don’t know, but he is dangerous! My mom, Rachel, drove through Devil’s Finger last week on her way to see my aunt. She said that she felt sinister vibes coming from that guard rail by the cliff! She wouldn’t lie!”

  
Chrissy smirked. “Oh I get it. You’re just scared because you watched The Craft one too many times! What’s next? Carrie gonna appear and take me to the prom?” she said, in a mocking tone.

Tears began to fill Maya’s eyes as she grabbed her purse. Swiping furiously at her cheeks, she ran out, long black hair trailing behind her. Mckayla could even hear her Birkenstocks clomp down the hall and into the bathroom.

“She’ll come back.” Chrissy said dismissively.

  
Mckayla’s temper burst and she smacked Chrissy across the face, grabbing her own purse. “WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM!?” she yelled at the stunned girl before marching out.


	2. Releasing the Brakes

_Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold._

_\---Helen Keller_

 

Mckayla was pissed. She almost marched past the bathroom door in her rage, but had managed to stop herself. She put a hand on the wall and took a few deep breaths. Chrissy was really pushing it, and Mckayla had to say something to her now. But that would have to wait.

Swallowing some water from the fountain, Mckayla adjusted her sweater before opening the bathroom door. Sobs echoed off the tiled floor, heard by no one else. In the second to last stall, she could see the soles of Maya’s shoes sticking out. “Maya?” she called out. The sobbing turned into quiet sniffles. “Y-yeah?” she asked timidly. Mckayla walked down to the door and sat in front of it. “Hey, don’t listen to her. I’m going to talk to her about it at lunch.” She coaxed.

“Why doesn’t Chrissy listen to me? I really believe this is a bad idea!” Maya sobbed. “There are more things out there than what we know, and they aren’t always meant to be found!”

“Maya…” Mckayla said hesitantly.

“It’s true! Even if you don’t believe in magic and stuff, at least believe that the dead shouldn’t be bothered!”

She paused. Maya was the most spiritual of the group, and Mckayla wanted to believe what the younger girl was saying. But at the same time, she was never a believer in ghosts, crystal balls or ominous gypsy women. She struggled for something to say to her, but she fell short for any pearls of wisdom.

“I…don’t really know what to tell you. I don’t think she should have been mean about it, but I don’t really…”

More sniffles came from under the door. Mckayla paused thoughtfully.

“…forget it, Maya. Just come out.” she said.

The stall door was unlocked and opened. Maya was sitting cross-legged on the floor, wiping her eyes on a blue paisley bell sleeve. She looked at Mckayla in between the crevices of her black hair.

Mckayla smiled and moved the other girl’s hair out of her face, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Maya...I know I can be a skeptic, and I know you feel something's out there...listen. No matter what...we'll stick together. We can graduate, and we'll finally make it to the Art Institute of Chicago. Come on."

Maya nodded, perking up a little bit. “I’m sorry I caused a scene in there.”

The other girl patted her on the shoulder with a wry smile. “Trust me; I think I’m going to have more problems than you today.”

“What happened? Why do you say that?” Maya asked.

“I smacked Chrissy in front of the whole class.”

“Why did you do that?! You’re going to get in trouble!” Maya cried out, flailing her arms a bit.

Mckayla smiled at her. “You’re my best friend; you are worth it.”

Maya threw herself at Mckayla, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “You are the best!”

She chuckled, and patted Maya’s hair before pulling away. They got up, dusted themselves off and moved to exit the bathroom. When Mckayla opened the door, Emily was standing right there! Both girls stumbled backwards.

“Oomph!” Maya yelped, her lips muffled by Mckayla’s sweater.

“Jesus, Emily!” Mckayla exclaimed, teetering on her heels.

“Sorry.” the other girl replied casually. “Mr. Mumford asked me to go get you, Mckayla. I think he’s going to send you to the principal’s office.”

Emily Lang had thoughtful but piercing blue eyes behind brown plastic glasses and blond hair woven into a braid. She was pretty level-headed, but she had been rumored to have attended some of the school’s wilder parties and disappeared before the cops showed up. It was also Emily who first told her the story about Lewis Leggenda.

Mckayla looked at her for a moment. “Could you please move?” she asked.

It was also well-known that Emily wanted to become a reporter when she graduated, and she made it a point to know something about everybody’s business. And there was no way of knowing if Emily had overheard anything. It wasn’t like Mckayla had said anything too scandalous, but the idea of someone eavesdropping at all wasn’t going to make her day any better.

Emily stepped aside and Mckayla led the way back to Mr. Mumford’s class. He was waiting for them at his desk, putting the finishing touches on what looked like a hall pass. He studied the three girls briefly before speaking. “Thank you Emily. Please take Mckayla to the Principal’s office.”

Emily nodded and accepted the slip of paper, while Mckayla’s heart sank. She went over to her desk and began gathering her things; she was pretty sure she felt Chrissy’s eyes bearing into her soul across the room. She turned around, and there Chrissy was, a red handprint blazing on her face. Her eyes were focused intently on Mckayla, her lips drawn into a thin line. She just flashed a nervous smile at her and hurried out, catching up to Emily by the door.

The Principal’s office was downstairs, so it would be a bit of a walk before the pair reached their destination. They went down the stairs and headed down the corridor. Mckayla was left with her thoughts and silent prayers to any high school god that could save her from her parents when they found out. Her mind was spinning with ideas so intently, that she jumped when Emily placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you listening to me?” the braided girl asked, mildly irritated.

“S-sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts is all.” Mckayla offered meekly. She looked up and saw the main office just ahead. She heavily sighed and started forward.

The other girl snickered, and motioned for Mckayla to follow her. “Follow me, Valentine. I might be interested in getting you out of trouble.”

Mckayla froze for a moment. She didn’t exactly like the shady tone Emily took suddenly. But she couldn’t afford to get in trouble with her parents, especially since her slumber party was tomorrow! They would cancel it; Maya would cry and Mckayla would bet that Emily was counting on that since she was invited to the party too.

Emily pulled her into a stairwell that led to the school’s basement. After opening another door that led to a dimly lit room, Emily looked behind Mckayla as if to make sure they weren’t followed and closed the door. The machinery whirred continuously around them, the vibrations occasionally causing the lights to flicker. “No one should be here for now, but we should still make this quick.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Mckayla asked.

Emily snorted. “Somebody has to know what goes on in this building. It helps me know where to hide to get information for the school paper.”

“Sounds to me like you’d have a more promising career as James Bond.” Mckayla retorted dryly.

“That’s not why I brought you down here, Valentine.” Emily stated, putting a hand on her hip. “I’m willing to make a deal with you.”

“A…deal?” she asked quizzically.

Emily sighed. “You’re really behind on the times, aren’t you?”

Mckayla watched Emily for a moment as she kept talking, pacing on the concrete landing as she did. “My mother is the principal of Copperlane High, in case you forgot. I heard you and Maya arguing with Chrissy about covering the story of Lewis Leggenda. More accurately, Maya arguing against it.” The other girl stated, adjusting her glasses.

“So…why do you care?”

“It’s simple, Valentine. No one ever found anything out about the whereabouts of the body, or why suddenly that same night there was a burning house with 5 greasers stabbed to death inside. There are parts missing to it that I’d like to know.”

“I never knew that part of the story!”

Emily ignored her and continued speaking, focusing intently on Mckayla. “And you know what’s even better? They found Lewis Leggenda’s fingerprints on the bodies. And he had been declared legally dead 6 hours prior due to the unholy blood splatter on the ground he landed on! They blamed it all on his best friend Billy Baumgartner, though the evidence doesn’t match up with the police report. Long story short Valentine; you let me in on your project and I’ll get you off the hook.”

Mckayla was about to speak but Emily cut her off. “I’ll talk to my mom, don’t worry about that. All you need to do is be seen going into the main office with me, so no one asks questions. When I get things smoothed over, what you need to do for me is get Maya to agree to the project.”

“Emily, how the hell am I supposed to do that? And how are you going to get into our group?” Mckayla protested.

The other girl just smirked, her glasses glinting in the dim light. “Leave that to me.”

Mckayla let out an exasperated sigh.

“So what shall it be?” Emily prodded.

“…alright, I’ll do it.”

“Excellent!” Emily exclaimed, clasping her hands together before turning to face the door again.

“Just one question, though.”

She turned briefly to look back at Mckayla. “Yes?”

“Why are you so interested in this story?” she asked curiously.

Emily’s hand paused on the door handle, gathering her thoughts before she spoke. “Three reasons. First one is that if we find someone who knows something and break a cold case, it will look amazing on my college resume. Second, the story is just fascinating in general.”

“And the third?”

“The third is that when my grandfather died, he requested to be buried in the area of Union Cemetery known as Rebel’s Row. All of Lewis Legennda’s friends are buried there, by his tombstone. I want to know why he chose an empty grave over his own wife’s.” She said matter-of-factly, but there was a hint of bitterness to her words.

Mckayla did not press any further and instead followed Emily out of the basement and up the stairs. They went into the office as they had discussed, and Mckayla sat there and waited while Emily talked to her mom. Whatever she had told the principal was a success, and Mckayla had only received a warning. By the time the pair had left, the bell had rung and students poured into the hallway.

Emily waved at Mckayla with a wink, before leaving her alone to her thoughts. She had only agreed to Emily’s terms because she knew how much Maya was going to be upset. Personally, Mckayla hated drama.

She made her way upstairs once more and was grateful for the two quiet Maya-and-Chrissy free class periods. As she worked, Mckayla kept an eye on the clock. After this class was lunch, and when she’d confront Chrissy. She dreaded the encounter, but Mckayla would finally call her out on her bullshit. She was excited about that end of it, but she also knew how explosive Chrissy could be.

The bell finally rang and Mckayla sprinted to the cafeteria to get a good spot in the lunch line. It was the same old meatloaf and macaroni slop today, which just was not very appetizing.

The lunch line moved at a snail’s pace but when she finally reached the cash register she could have leapt for joy. Her stomach growled as she hurried out of line, balancing her tray on her books, scanning the cafeteria. She saw Maya waving frantically in her chair at an otherwise vacant table. She hurried over, and sat her tray and books down, sighing with relief as she plopped in her chair.

“You made it!” Maya chirped, hugging Mckayla. “How have you been since homeroom?” She asked, trying to strain a spoonful of macaroni.

“Anxious. I’m going to confront Chrissy. But...”

“But you’re worried she’s going to flip out.” Maya finished, popping her spoon in her mouth.

“Umm…not exactly. But her temper did cross my mind.” Mckayla responded, taking a bite of meatloaf. “Have you seen her in the cafeteria?” she asked between chews.

“No not yet. But I did see her last period. She wasn’t happy and her new friends laughed at her. I’ll bet she’s going to come sit with us.” Maya said gloomily.

Mckayla nodded. Whenever Chrissy’s new friends made fun of her, she would go sit with her and Maya. But then, whenever they apologized to her, she’d go back to that table. Mckayla hated that.

Soon enough, they saw Chrissy behind three other people in the lunch line. She looked over and saw the pair, flashing her cocky smirk. Mckayla and Maya waved nervously at Chrissy, and then looked at each other. “We’re fucked.” They said in unison with a nod. Mckayla was determined not to lose her nerve, and mentally braced herself as Chrissy paid for her food. “Here she comes.” Maya said in a hushed whisper. Mckayla gulped.

“Hey Kayla!” Emily greeted cheerfully, sitting down in the empty chair beside her. The sudden break in tension caused Mckayla and Maya to jump in their seats, Maya almost falling off. She smirked at them. “Did I come at a bad time?”

“You? Never.” Mckayla said dryly.

“Why would you do that?!” Maya exclaimed in a frazzled tone, with a hand over her heart.

“Hey bitches, what up?” Chrissy said, plopping her tray onto the table and sitting in the seat next to Maya.

Nothing could possibly go wrong with THIS arrangement, Mckayla groaned to herself.

“We were just going to discuss our group project.” Emily said, helping herself to her salad.

“OUR group project? Since when did YOU join our group?” Chrissy asked indignantly, between bites of jello.

“This afternoon, actually. I talked to Mr. Mumford, and he thought it would be a good idea for me to help out. I’ve already begun gathering resources on Lewis Leggenda. I should have a complete list by tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you a team player.” Chrissy said coldly. Emily looked over and narrowed her eyes slightly at Chrissy. The two never liked each other and never pretended to. Emily’s father was a realtor who had made a land grab in Chrissy’s neighborhood during the Recession. Chrissy’s family lost their house, and the greaser girl never forgot it. And she certainly would not let Emily forget it either.

“You should be grateful, Chrissy. Because of me this project is going underway without a hitch . So I suggest we play nice for the sake of the group.” Emily retorted.

Chrissy nodded to Emily before cracking a grin. “So it’s on. I love this!”

“Umm, I never agreed to that! What’s going on Mckayla?” Maya asked, now working on her salad.

Emily glanced at Mckayla. Mckayla’s eyebrow twitched. The day just finally collapsed on her and she reached her limit. She finally slammed her hands on the table.

“I’m sick of it!” she exclaimed, raising her voice as she whirled to face the tan girl. “Chrissy, I don’t know what made you such a bitch when you got into rockabilly, but I hate it! What happened to my best friend?! It’s like I only exist when your new friends don’t want to talk to you! Well guess what: I’m not taking it anymore! You are a bitch!”

The older girl’s eyes flashed with anger and hurt at the same time. She picked her tray back up. “…If that’s how you really feel, then I suppose I should just go. Have fun this weekend, and don’t think I don’t know I wasn’t invited.” Chrissy said lowly, with a wavering voice as she stood.

Maya gaped as Chrissy departed without another word to a lone table across the cafeteria. Emily just raised an eyebrow. Some of the neighboring students stared before returning to their usual chatter, though some had dropped to low whispers.

A long pause filled the air betwixt the three remaining girls. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Emily spoke up, “Well that escalated quickly.” The other two girls giggled.

“So…Mckayla. What’s really going on?” Maya asked suspiciously, while silencing a few chuckles.

She gulped again. Might as well come clean. “About that... Emily is very interested in covering the Lewis Leggenda story, and in exchange for doing it she got me off the hook for hitting Chrissy.”

Maya’s grey eyes narrowed slightly. “So you cut a deal with Emily so you guys could spit on my beliefs? This is a form of oppression from the man, you know.” She said crossly.

Mckayla sighed. “It was so the slumber party could happen tomorrow; you KNOW mom and dad would have cancelled it. I didn’t want you to get mad because you passed up seeing your aunt for me.”

The hippie-girl’s expression was unreadable as she fell silent. Emily was flipping through her notepad while taking bites of her salad, as if this was a conversation about baking recipes. Mckayla sipped her Sprite and finished her meatloaf, contemplating the best way to de-water the macaroni.

After a moment, Maya spoke. “I suppose because you did all this for me, I can let it go. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings!”

Mckayla smiled. “You would NEVER hurt my feelings, Maya.”

“Only Chrissy.” Emily chimed in, causing the two girls to look at her.

“Just sayin’.” She said with a shrug.

“Also, I’ve decided I’ll agree to research Lewis Leggenda on a few conditions.” Maya stated, gulping her water.

“Name it.” Mckayla replied.

“First of all, we don’t go too far with it. We only get what we need for the report and nothing more.”

Emily and Mckayla nodded. “Fair enough.” The braided girl agreed.

“The other condition is that you invite Chrissy to the slumber party.”

Emily smirked and Mckayla paled. “W-why?”

“Because we are going to be working together and I don’t want bad vibes. You dig?”

“Got it.” Mckayla conceded.

“Groovy!” Maya said with a smile as the bell rang.


	3. Kick-Off

_When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future._

_\---Bernard Meltzer_

 

It was now 3 in the afternoon. Class had let out and the rain had not let up in the slightest, streaking down the aged windows of the school building. Mckayla was at her locker, listening to the afterschool announcements. The intercom buzzed and crackled, followed by the coaches’ announcement that practice for the sports teams were cancelled for today. Mckayla was happier though; the rain meant that her neighbor Ashley was going to ride home with her. She usually walked home, but not if the weather was bad.

“HEY, MCKAYLA!” A chipper voice boomed from somewhere behind her.

Speaking of…

Mckayla smiled as she turned to face the cheerleader darting through the crowd towards her.

Ashley Roberts was the varsity cheer captain of Copperlane High. While she had a nice figure, Ashley was not a supermodel; but it was her smile and warm hazel eyes that turned heads. She also was one of the few popular girls who did not judge, according to Emily. When she saw some members of her squad bullying a Goth girl last year, she invited the girl over to her house for a party that weekend and told her squad mates to take a hike. That was pretty ballsy for a popular girl in this school, but Ashley seemed to be at the top of the social ladder and immune to most consequences.

She bounced over in her bronze one-piece cheerleading uniform. The word _Miners_ was blazed over her chest between black and white accent lines. Her matching pom-poms she carried glinted and sparkled in the light.

“What’s up, buttercup?” she greeted, leaning on the nearby lockers.

“I’ve had a rotten day. I just can’t wait to get home. And please don’t ask why I have a new locker.” Mckayla replied. She had been assigned a new locker over study hall. The contents inside hadn’t been organized yet, but Mckayla didn’t care too much. She was finally going home, and did not have to be back at school until Monday. There were few things that could ruin her joy right now.

 

Ashley made a face in her compact mirror as she put on lip gloss. “Ick! Not cool that you had a bad day! If you want I can hang out with you at your house for awhile. I need a break from my sister.”

“That would be awesome!” Mckayla replied with a smile. “I’m having a slumber party tomorrow if you’d like to come.” She added, swapping out her books for the weekend.

Ashley turned to face Mckayla and said brightly, “AWESOME! I’d love to come! Maybe I could help you start that project Mr. Mumford gave us! My group picked something lame and easy so I’m not too worried about it. What are you guys doing for it?”

“Lewis Leggenda.” She stated.

The cheerleader’s eyes widened and her pink lips opened. “What? You gotta be kidding me! That story is baaad news, ‘Kayla!”

She rolled her eyes. “Not you too! Maya already tried to warn me about losing my soul to the dark side earlier!”

Ashley shifted her posture and looked straight into Mckayla’s eyes. “I’m not kidding, girlie. People have legit gone missing over this. Sure not everybody disappears, but do you really want to take that chance? There’s some kind of mojo going on with it that I don’t understand, but it’s enough to keep me away from it, and it should keep you away too.”

Mckayla could see the sincerity in Ashley’s soft brown eyes and she got a chill from her words. Doubts began to creep into her mind. “You think, Ashley? Do you have any proof?” she asked with a bit of hesitation.

Ashley placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go to your house and I’ll show you, ‘kay?”

She nodded and slid her lock into place. Her keys jingled merrily at her as she lifted them from her purse. “Let’s go, Ashley.”

The drive home was without incident, save for horrible traffic due to the storm. Rain showed no signs of letting up, and was scheduled to continue into the night, according to the radio. Luckily Mckayla only lived 15 minutes away and it did not take too long for the blue Acura to roll up into the driveway of the modest two-story home. The girls rushed to the door, using their backpacks as shields while Mckayla fumbled with the keys. The metal was slippery, but she managed to slide it into the lock and opened the door. Darkness greeted them, so Ashley hit the lights.

A comfortable living room was revealed with modern furniture. A grey cat was curled up asleep on the chair. Ashley and Mckayla threw their things down on the floor.

“Do you have any pajamas I could borrow? I’m soaking wet!” Ashley asked, examining her hair, which now hung in blonde strings around her face.

Mckayla nodded to her and ran upstairs to her bedroom, turning more lights on to illuminate the house. As she did so, a sense of warmth flooded her bones as the shadows dissipated. After she padded down the hall, Mckayla reached into a doorway and flipped her bedroom light on.

Her tidy room was done in varying hues of blue, the darkest shade being on her bed. It was a queen size and big enough for two people. In the corner sat a computer on a desk and beside that a bookshelf. Pictures and posters of landscapes and animals decorated Mckayla’s walls. She smiled, admiring her room for a moment before reaching into a chest of drawers to grab an old t-shirt and pajama pants for Ashley. She should probably change too so she wouldn’t catch a cold. Ashley’s pajamas were tossed onto the bed as Mckayla threw her sopping clothes into the hamper and changed into a t-shirt with shorts. After she was finished, Mckayla picked up the spare clothes and walked to the stairs landing. “CATCH!” she yelled, tossing the clothes to Ashley.

On cue the cheerleader jumped up and performed a perfect catch, landing with a thud on the white carpet. She grinned, swiping her hair from her face. “TOUCHDOWN!” she cried out, doing a little flip. Mckayla laughed hard, trotting down the stairs. “You goof!” she retorted playfully.

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon goofing around. When evening rolled around, Mckayla ordered a pepperoni pizza for the two of them. The trials of day were melting away with all the laughter and fun the two were having. When they were both full of food and soda, they finally sat down to talk and get down to business about the Lewis Leggenda project. Mckayla had a notepad and a pen while Ashley sat poised, ready to talk.

“Alright, so what do you want to know?” Ashley inquired.

“I want you to tell me the most popular rendition of the Leggenda Dare.” Mckayla answered.

“Well, what I heard from one member on my squad was that if you light a candle where he went over the guard rail, and say ‘Betty’s dead, Lewis’ three times, he’ll appear and drag you to hell.” The cheerleader stated matter-of-factly as she popped some chewing gum into her mouth.

Mckayla quirked an eyebrow at her. “Why _‘Betty’s dead?_ ’”

Ashley blew and popped her gum, pulling it back in her mouth. “Because that’s what his girlfriend’s name was, I think.” She answered, leaning back on the couch. Mckayla was writing all the information down. “It could have been misconstrued over the years and people THINK that her name was Betty.” The photographer mused.

“Well then you should probably get that looked into. I’m pretty sure the name is the same. But you could always Google it. Besides, the story may have made it on Snopes by now.”

Mckayla grinned. “So, you think the Snopes people did the candle ritual and watched for a body to confirm it?”

Ashley laughed and tossed a pillow at Mckayla’s face. “Shut UP! You’re sounding like Chrissy!”

Mckayla suddenly stopped and sighed, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. Ashley’s smile vanished and she moved closer to the other girl. “Did something happen with Chrissy?” she asked, gently placing a hand on Mckayla’s shoulder.

Without too much thought, she recounted to the cheerleader the events of the day. Ashley sat there, listening intently. When Mckayla finished, she hugged her tight. “I’m SO sorry! I didn’t mean to bring her up. I had no idea she was being such a bitch!” she said, astonished.

“She’s changed over the years, Ashley. I don’t know what happened to her. It seems she only wants me as a part time friend anymore. I can’t bring myself to get rid of her but it hurts me so much to be around her. I just don’t know what to do. And I have to invite her to the slumber party tomorrow or Maya will get angry. She doesn’t want ‘bad vibes’ in the group.”

The cheerleader chewed her gum thoughtfully. “Well I can understand what Maya is getting at. But you should probably call Chrissy tonight. I can stay over for moral support if you want.”

Mckayla smiled, relief washing over her. “I’m so happy right now I could cry. Thank you so much!”

“No problem! I’m a cheerleader; supporting my team is my job! I’ve known you forever Mckayla, and I’ve got your back, no matter what!”

The other girl hugged Ashley, who hugged back. When they let go, Mckayla sat back. “I hate to be a buzz kill, but what about the information on the missing people you mentioned at school?”

Ashley popped a bubble. “I’m sorry I was such a distract-o-bot! Go get your laptop and I’ll show you.”

Mckayla obeyed and grabbed her laptop from upstairs and hurried back. She had left it on from the previous night from when she had fallen asleep. She plopped back in her seat and opened it before handing it to the blond. Ashley took it and opened the browser, beginning to type.

Mckayla looked over. “ _SearchingfortheLegend_. _com_? Seems legit.” She stated.

Ashley gave her a look after the browser loaded. The page was done in a grim rockabilly fashion with plenty of skulls and guitars. An old faded photo of a man was revealed to greet them at the top of the page. He had dark hair sporting a pompadour and strong facial features, most notably were his piercing brown eyes and cocky smirk.

“He was so hot.” Ashley sighed dreamily.

“He looks like a douchebag.” Mckayla retorted.

Ashley sighed, and scrolled down the web page and clicked on a link. “There. All the newspaper clippings on people who were investigating the Lewis Legend story.” She said.

Mckayla took the laptop and clicked through each link, revealing the faces of the people who vanished: men, women and teenagers. If he was really dragging people to hell, he sure had no preferences. In total, the clippings dated as far back as 1965! Her eyes widened, and she felt her stomach tighten. Maybe there was some truth to it after all. As much as Mckayla wanted to chalk all of this up to coincidence, there were too many disappearances for her to write this off. If they didn’t go too far, then nothing would happen, right?

She shook her head. The photographer had no intentions on letting a superstition rule her so she ignored the feeling in her gut. “I don’t know Ashley. Maybe there is some psycho keeping the superstition up, and that’s why those people were never found.”

“Since 1965? Get real!” Ashley retorted with astonishment. “You’d have to be really lame to do something like that. Plus, to 10 people? That’s a lot of bodies to turn up missing, don’t you think?”

“You never know. What is this site anyway?” she asked.

“You don’t know? It’s THE resource for anything Lewis Leggenda related. It was made by a paranormal group that investigates urban legends.” Ashley said simply.

Mckayla browsed the web page, reading through the various articles. He was a 1950’s greaser who was the leader of a gang known as The Rebels. He loved rock n roll, women, cars and motorcycles. He had a girlfriend named Betty Robinson and his best friend’s name was Wilhelm ‘Billy’ Baumgartner. Lewis was apparently very popular at his school, Copperlane…

_Copperlane?!_

Mckayla’s eyes widened. “Ashley! He went to our school!” she exclaimed.

Ashley just popped another bubble. “Knew that. Haven’t you ever seen that plaque at school by the gym? It’s to him.”

She blinked. “I don’t really go by the gym very much.”

“Oh.”

Mckayla kept reading. He died in 1959 in a tragic motorcycle accident. Even today they call him the ‘King of the Greasers.” He has been seen riding up and down Copperhead Road, also known as “Devil’s Finger” on the anniversary of his death. No one knows why he rides, but some say he is looking for his body.

The site then displayed some blurry pictures as evidence. Mckayla sighed. It was always the same thing with paranormal groups. They present evidence that is nearly undecipherable or photo-shopped and try to pass it off as ‘proof.’ She could respect the search for the truth even if she was not on board with the paranormal, but the least they could do was get a decent shot.

“I don’t know what kind of camera they were using, but their photos are just shit.” Mckayla stated. Her inner photography snob was coming out. “I mean, are they on a welfare budget or something?”

Ashley laughed and replied, “Most paranormal groups are self-funded. Not everybody can be like _Ghost Hunters_.”

“I still think their photography sucks.”

“I agree, but shots of ghosts are hard!”

Mckayla snorted. “What, do you go hunting ghosts on the weekends?”

Ashley stared at her briefly before giggling. “NO! I do not have the time for that!”

Mckayla kept browsing through the links. It was just more paranormal bullshit, but there was some salvageable information. She jotted down the generic information about Lewis and some of the aspects of the urban myth, but that was really it. She also recorded the citation information for later. “Ok I think I got everything I need from this webpage.” She said as she closed her laptop.

The cheerleader smiled as she popped more gum into her mouth. “Awesome! Glad I could help!” she replied between chews. “All that’s left now is for you to call Chrissy!”

 

Mckayla sighed. “I’ve been looking forward to this all night.” She said sardonically. Ashley just reached into Mckayla’s purse and tossed her iphone to her. She caught it and quickly began going through her contacts to find Chrissy. When she did, her finger lingered over the number for a moment before she tapped it. The phone began calling.

“Hey ‘Kayla.” Chrissy answered with a hint of depression to her voice.

 

“What’s up?” Mckayla asked.

 

“Just having a cigarette on my break at work.” The Latina replied, her tone much calmer than earlier.

 

Work? Since when did Chrissy have work? “I didn’t know you had a job.”

 

“Had one since 3 years ago. I bust my ass as a waitress at my parents’ restaurant.” Chrissy responded.

 

“Listen, I guess this is a bad time…” Mckayla trailed.

 

The greaser girl cut in “You wanna talk ‘bout today, right?”

 

The photographer paused briefly. “…Yes, I do. Among other things.”

 

“I’ll swing by your place after work at about…11. That cool?”

 

“That’s fine.” Mckayla answered. After she said her goodbyes to Chrissy she hung up. Ashley was now swinging her legs off the end of the couch.

 

“How did it go?” the cheerleader asked.

 

“She was at work and couldn’t talk, but she’s going to swing by at about 11.” Mckayla said, setting her phone down on the coffee table.

 

“I’ll call my mom and let her know I’m staying over.” Ashley said, getting up and grabbing her purse. She walked into the other room, leaving Mckayla alone with her thoughts.

 

The photographer had a mix of feelings going through her. She felt relieved that it had not gone badly, but at the same time she did not know which Chrissy was going to drive up and knock on her door. Mckayla rubbed her temples. She was glad that Ashley would be with her when Chrissy came. It would make things much easier, and Mckayla hoped that the weight she had been carrying around inside of her would finally be lifted. But at the same time, the Leggenda business began to creep inside of her, and seemed to make that weight much heavier. She shivered. Mckayla couldn’t explain why, but she was beginning to feel cold on the inside.

But she decided that it was just stress getting to her and just messed around with her phone until Ashley was done talking to her mom. Mckayla smiled as the cheerleader came back in with a spring to her step.

“Mom said it would be fine!” Ashley stated, plopping down on the couch. “I’ll just need to walk to my house to get my stuff before Chrissy gets here!”

 

“You could just use my car.” Mckayla offered.

 

“REALLY?! Thanks a lot!” Ashley chirped, hugging her friend as she took Mckayla’s keys. “I’ll be back in ten minutes!”

 

“Cool. Just be careful! My parents will flip if that car gets messed up!” She called as Ashley slipped on her sneakers.

 

“You worry too much ‘Kayla!” Ashley responded as she went out the door. Once the locks were clicked into place, she was left alone with her thoughts once more.

 

She grabbed her laptop and opened it again, deciding to work more on the report while Ashley was gone. After Mckayla did a quick Google search, she found more pages dedicated to Lewis. Some were online memorials and others were more urban legend nonsense. Curiously, she found a Facebook memorial page. When she clicked on it, there were well over 3 thousand likes! Most of the people who visited were elderly men and women who knew him or the family and the rest were admirers or paranormal investigators. However, one comment caught her eye and nearly made her fall off the couch.

 

_‘Lewis, you were a great friend and there will never be another you. Forever a Rebel, jack.’_

It was left by Richard Mumford, her AP English teacher!

She quickly scribbled down the information. This was perfect! They could just interview him! He obviously knew Lewis Leggenda, and by the implications, he was a Rebel! Who would have thought that Mr. Mumford was once in a street gang! Maya and Chrissy would flip! But on the other hand, she wondered if Emily knew that. Guess she’d find out tomorrow, she thought as she glanced at the clock on her computer. 10:30; only half an hour until Chrissy arrived.

With that in mind, Mckayla tidied up the couch and sat down, crossing her legs and drumming her fingers. She eagerly awaited Ashley’s return, hoping that she’d be back before Chrissy showed up.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and Mckayla turned her head. Ashley came back in with a cheerleading duffel bag and what looked like a slushy from 7-11. She slurped it loudly, the noise echoing off the previous dead silence. Mckayla gave her a look.

 

“What?” Ashley inquired, slurping once more.

 

“Don’t do that! It’s annoying!” Mckayla responded irritably.

 

“Sorry!” she shot back, dropping her duffel bag to the floor with a plop. “By the way, are your parents gone?”

 

“Yeah, mom’s currently on a flight to the Bahamas with dad. She won free tickets from American Airlines charity raffle. They’ll be gone ‘til November 5th.” Mckayla replied, closing the laptop.

 

“I wish I was somewhere tropical right now. It’s only a matter of time before we get loads of snow.” Ashley sighed as she lay back, draping her legs over Mckayla’s lap. “I’d wear my bikini I got last summer and stretch out in the warm sun, far away from all this shitty rain.”

 

Mckayla smiled. “That would be nice, huh. I wish I could have a family vacation and actually hang out with my parents. They are gone most of the time.”

The other girl snorted. “Who hangs out with their parents?”

 

The photographer looked at her. “People who don’t see their parents every day.”

 

Silence fell over the two of them, only broken by the steady rain and the cat yawning in the chair. Ashley looked down at her feet while Mckayla glanced out the window. She knew Ashley meant well, but a lot of people at school took for granted having their parents around. Ever since her mom got a job as a flight attendant and her dad a late night job at the brewery, she hardly sees them anymore. Mckayla missed the small things like her mother’s home cooked meals. Nowadays she cooked for herself and did all the chores in the house, and she owed it all to the recession.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Ashley jumped up to check through the door’s peephole. “It’s Chrissy.” She stated, unlocking the door.

 

Mckayla sat up as the door opened. Chrissy stood there, soaking wet from the rain. She wore a grey stain-sprinkled tank top that had _Montezuma’s_ stretched over her chest. Her leather jacket was draped over her shoulder, and a black apron that did little to shield her jeans. Her boots thumped against the carpeted floor as she came in. She was trying to remake her messy ponytail, but her wet hair refused to budge.

The greaser girl leaned down and began unlacing her boots. “Hey ‘Kayla. Didn’t know Ashley was going to be here.” She greeted as her boots slid off.

Mckayla smiled a bit; this was old Chrissy talking to her.

 

Chrissy tossed her jacket onto a nearby chair and sat down, shivering. Ashley grabbed the blanket off the back of the chair and gave it to her. She took it gratefully and quickly wrapped herself in it. “It’s cold as balls outside!” she exclaimed.

“I was out there earlier, but it wasn’t as bad then.” Ashley said, sipping her slushy.

Chrissy’s eyes focused on Mckayla. “So, let’s get to the point: You don’t like the way I’ve been actin’ and you’re pissed. Elaborate.”

 

Mckayla looked at her. “That’s an understatement. You only act like my friend when your new friends are pissed at you or they aren’t around. Why did you start acting like this? Did I do something to you? Just talk to me Chrissy!”

 

The greaser girl sighed and pulled her legs up to sit criss-cross on the couch. “I’ve got no good reason why I’ve been a bitch to you. Shit has gone down hard at my house and I’ve been so angry at everything. Being in a group with Emily hasn’t helped either, by the way.”

 

“For the past 3 years? Your excuse for being a bitch was that you are angry because shit has gone down at your house?!” Mckayla exclaimed angrily. She got up and marched over to Chrissy. “You’re right it isn’t a good excuse!”

 

Chrissy stood up and growled. “I have a lot of pressure on me, Mckayla. If you are that desperate to know, my parents are in the poorhouse pretty much, and I work 2 jobs to make ends meet to the point that sometimes I have to cut class just to sleep! On top of that, dad is trying to stop the Langs from foreclosing our new house. So I could be homeless any day now! And I’m sorry if I’ve been a bitch to you ‘Kayla, but I’m doing the best I can! Those girls I hang out with are the daughters of my parents’ business partners, and I have to play nice with them to keep the restaurant going. As far as being a greaser goes, that was my personal choice!” Chrissy yelled desperately, clutching Mckayla’s shoulders before collapsing into a pile of tears on the floor.

The photographer was stunned as was Ashley. They looked at each other for a moment before kneeling beside Chrissy. Mckayla hugged her tightly as did Ashley. “I’m so sorry Chrissy, I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?” Mckayla asked softly as she stroked Chrissy’s hair.

 

“ ‘Cause Dad said not to tell anyone, but it is getting to be too much. I just feel like the world is crushing me under its weight. It wasn’t right but I took it out on you ‘Kayla.” Chrissy sniffled, wiping her eyes. “Rockabilly is my escape. It is the only thing I have that I can enjoy anymore.”

“That’s not true. You have us.” Ashley responded. “We three have grown up together and we should stick together no matter what. Friends help friends, Chrissy. You shouldn’t try to deal with this on your own; you’ll kill yourself trying!”

Mckayla nodded. “You should have told us. I could help you. If you lose your house, then you can come stay with me again like last time. I know you don’t like Emily, but it isn’t her fault that her dad is a douche. At least try to be civil with her tomorrow, alright?”

Chrissy nodded and grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and blew her nose. “Do you forgive me, ‘Kayla?”

“I do, but I won’t forget. You pull something like this again and you won’t be my friend anymore. Alright?”

“Alright.” Chrissy smiled and hugged Mckayla. “I feel so much better now. I could fly like a bird if I wanted to.”

 

Mckayla felt better herself, but not as much as Chrissy. That cold feeling was still there. But she was too tired from the day to really care at the moment too much. Chrissy was back and she had kept her promise to Maya. Now the only thing on her agenda was the Lewis Leggenda report. Inside she hoped her presumptions were true and that all the warnings she was getting were not a sign. Mckayla did not know what was ahead but she and her friends would find out, one way or another about this urban legend business.


	4. Hitting the Gas

_Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later._

 _\---_ _Og Mandino_

It was 5:30 in the afternoon on Saturday. Ashley and Mckayla were making preparations for the slumber party. After Chrissy had gone home the night before, the two of them had gone straight to bed and slept like the dead. Mckayla felt much better today and definitely more refreshed. She had ordered more pizza that had arrived a few minutes ago, the soda was set out and she had Ashley pulling pillows and cushions out of the hall closet for everyone to hang out on in the living room.

“Okay! Cushions and blankets are spread out! All the pillows are prepped too!” Ashley called from the living room.

Mckayla called back, “Food and drinks are ready too! We’re good to go in the kitchen!”

 

“Excellent!” Ashley replied, walking into the kitchen. “Got any movies for tonight?”

 

“Well, everyone made requests and so I got _The Outsiders._ It won the popular vote.” Mckayla responded

 

“Never saw that one.” The cheerleader mused.

“Me neither. But Emily and Chrissy wanted to see it and Maya didn’t care. I also want to keep the party focused on the assignment. God knows we’re all up to our asses in extra-curricular activities.” Mckayla stated as she walked into the living room.

 

“That’s a ten-four!” Ashley said, following the photographer. She then busied herself with fluffing the pillows.

 

All the food smelled so good but Mckayla was not going to touch it until the others arrived. Her mouth watered. She could never get enough pizza; it was her guilty pleasure.

 

A loud knock on the door sent her out of her reverie and over to open it. Emily stood there with a duffel bag on one shoulder and a book bag on the other. “Hey Mckayla.” She greeted, walking in. Upon seeing Ashley, she placed her bags on the floor by the couch and began exchanging pleasantries.

Not too long after there was another knock. This time it was Maya and Chrissy, each carrying a duffel bag. They sat their belongings by Emily’s and walked over to Ashley.

Mckayla went over as well, greeting the newcomers. After some idle chit-chat, Emily spoke up.

 

“So, business or pleasure first?”

 

Chrissy looked at her. “You are so weird.”

 

Ashley just chuckled.

Mckayla answered, “Let’s eat and hang out some first before we dive in. Also we have to make this count because it will be hard for us all to meet up again. I know Emily and I have yearbook, Chrissy has to work and Maya is in the science club. By the way, Ashley is here to hang out and help us out. Thanks to her, I already gleaned some information that I will share a bit later.”

 

“Awesome!” Chrissy said with a grin. “I’ve been looking forward to this!”

 

“Remember our agreement.” Maya cautioned, shaking a finger briefly at the group. “We’re not going too far with this.”

 

Emily nodded. “Don’t worry. It’s not like we’re going to go out and perform the Leggenda dare.”

 

“I think it would be cool to go out and do it, just to see what happens!” Chrissy responded.

 

“No!” Maya and Ashley said at the same time.

 

The girls erupted into giggles as they settled down to eat. All the food was history by 7, and the soda was nearly depleted by 9 as they watched the movie. It was not until 11 that they settled in and began to work on the project.

 

Emily adjusted her glasses. “So, did anyone other than Mckayla and me gather information?”

 

Chrissy looked over. “I did. I asked around some of the older folks in my neighborhood. Not everyone talked, but I did get some good information.”

 

Maya shook her head while Ashley munched on popcorn.

 

“Well then, I think we should start with Chrissy then.” Emily said.

 

Chrissy took a sip of her soda before she began, leaning forward a bit. “I talked to this one woman who was Lewis’ ex girlfriend. She said that he was a great guy and a charismatic son of a bitch. She believes that his greaser buddies all followed him to hell because of how loyal they were to him. Hell, Lewis was the guy that most greasers wanted to be. He could play guitar, and was a damn good dancer. He also frequented the drive in with his girlfriends and gave no shits about society norms. He would cruise Main Street on his motorcycle and was often seen at Harry’s diner.”

Emily wrote all this down on her notepad and nodded. “Good, good.”

 

Mckayla sat up, and relayed all the information she had gleaned the night before from the website.

 

Emily continued writing while the other 2 girls were slack-jawed.

 

“You mean to tell me Mr. Mumford was a Rebel?!” Chrissy said in astonishment. “He KNEW Lewis Leggenda?!”

 

“Oh my God!” Maya said, gaping.

 

“I’m not surprised.” Emily responded. “My grandfather was a Rebel as well, but I will say it really does bring the story full circle when you know someone involved, doesn’t it?”

 

Maya nodded at Emily before turning to look at Mckayla. “Do you think he’ll let us interview him, though? What if he doesn’t want to talk about Lewis?” she asked, chewing her lip a bit.

 

“Then we’ll have to find somebody else.” Chrissy answered, twirling her hair. “He’s bound to know someone who will talk.”

 

“I agree.” Emily said. “Lewis was a popular guy. Besides, I have some interesting tidbits to share.”

 

“Then go on.” Mckayla offered.

 

“To get to the point, I investigated the deaths around the Leggenda family. After Lewis, his girlfriend Betty died as a result of complications from a violent rape. Jerry Leggenda, the middle brother, went off with Billy Baumgartner to take revenge against the guys who allegedly ‘rigged’ Lewis’ brakes during the bike race. He died in the knife fight and Billy went to prison. He was executed later for the murders via electric chair.”

 

“No way…” Chrissy murmured, astonished.

 

Emily nodded to her. “It’s true. However, the guys who raped Betty Robinson were all found dead in a burning house the night after the race. Lewis Leggenda’s fingerprints were all over the bodies, even though he was declared dead 6 hours prior. The thing is there was no way Lewis could have survived the fall at the speed he would have fallen. So the police said Billy fabricated the whole thing. It doesn’t add up at all. And no one ever found his body, either. They just chalked it up to a gang war and left it at that.”

She leaned in closer, looking intently into each of their eyes. “Nobody is saying much about this whole affair and it feels like nobody wants to. ‘Why’ is the question.”

 

The photographer spoke up. “It feels like people are only rehashing the same story about him. It was the same on the Lewis Leggenda website. Everything was ‘tidy’ and ‘politically correct.’ Almost as if people were afraid of upsetting the applecart…”

 

“The question is whose applecart?” Chrissy added.

 

“My moms heard that Lewis Leggenda was a very mean guy. Sure he was nice to his friends, but there would be hell to pay if you crossed him. Besides, if I remember right, I think he has one little brother who is still alive.” Maya spoke up.

 

“Really?!” Chrissy exclaimed.

 

“Quite the turn of events. What is his name?” Emily inquired.

 

“Umm…I don’t remember. But I do know that he changed his last name to avoid all the urban legend stuff. I think he got tired of it. Maybe Mr. Mumford would know.” Maya offered, shrugging.

 

Emily smirked. “That would be the ultimate interview and it would guarantee us an A.”

 

Chrissy gave her a look. “Hold up, Walter Cronkite. That’s if he wants to talk to us and that is even assuming Mr. Mumford will tell us who this guy is!”

 

“She’s got a point!” Ashley chimed in. “Let’s be realistic and come up with some alternatives in case either of them don’t want to be interviewed.”

 

“How about that ex-girlfriend of Lewis’ you talked to, Chrissy?” Mckayla suggested, stealing some of Ashley’s popcorn.

 

“Not gonna happen. She’s going off to a nursing home tomorrow and I don’t think it’s cool to bug someone like that again.” Chrissy answered, sipping her drink.

 

Maya sighed. “Well that’s out. I guess we’ll have to find out who he hung out with if we’re going to get anywhere. Also, who is going to write this report anyway?”

 

The girls all looked at each other briefly before Emily spoke up. “I’ll do it if you guys just help with the information gathering. Besides, it’s good writing practice and I’m probably the best choice. You three can handle the interview and I’ll condense everything you find. Deal?”

 

“Deal.” Chrissy, Maya and Mckayla said at the same time.

 

“Now then, if we are done discussing the project, I believe another movie is in order before we all go to bed.” Emily said with a grin.

 

The rest of the night was spent watching and laughing at the movie _Titanic_ before the girls found a comfortable spot among the pillows and blankets to sleep. Time rolled on, and it was 2:00 in the afternoon before any of them woke up. Mckayla cleaned up the blankets and pillows while Ashley helped with trash. Maya and Chrissy just kicked back with Emily, and the trio talked quietly. When everything was finished, Ashley and Mckayla sat down to join the rest of the girls.

 

“So before we all go, what are we going to do about the interview? How are we going to find someone?” Maya asked.

 

“Simple. We talk to Mr. Mumford. He can direct us to people who really knew Lewis well; hopefully we can land an interview with his surviving brother.” Emily answered as she braided her hair.

 

“Fair enough. I’ll go askin’ around my neighborhood again.” Chrissy offered.

 

“Good plan.” Mckayla responded.

 

“It sounds like you guys really have everything together! I’m glad I could be here!” Ashley chirped.

 

The rest of the group smiled at her. “We’re glad you’re here too!” Maya replied, giving the cheerleader a hug. She returned the hug, kissing the top of Maya’s head before letting her go.

 

“You’re so adorable!” Ashley said to her.

 

“I know! I wish I was that cute!” Mckayla added

 

Maya’s face flushed red. “Oh thanks guys! But really there are cuter people in school than me!”

 

“Not in my eyes!” Mckayla declared as she gave Maya a hug.

 

Chrissy chuckled a bit while Emily remained as placid as ever.

 

Soon enough, they all said their goodbyes and left Mckayla alone to her thoughts.

 

It was finally underway and Emily was right; Lewis Leggenda was a very interesting man to learn about. It seemed to her that he had lived in such a distant era that it was very surreal. The world he lived in was so different. Hell, everything was different! The cars, the music, the culture and even the clothes were slightly bizarre. She was beginning to see what Chrissy saw in the 50’s as she did her research. The old black and white photos filled her with the sense of a simpler and safer time. Her own era was hectic, dangerous and crazy. The fact that you could even walk down the street at night in the 50s was amazing to Mckayla. The best you could hope for nowadays was a mugging! A smile crept over her face as she flipped through pages on Google that were filled with photos of the past. She loved photos because they freeze a moment in time forever and you could always go back and revisit that moment as many times as you wanted. Before Mckayla knew it, she was engrossed and the hours flew on by. Without realizing it, she fell asleep on her keyboard. Sunday was spent in a similar fashion: getting up, browsing pictures, eating and falling asleep.

 

On Monday, Mckayla got ready for school and drove in the pouring rain. She listened to the radio on the way, hearing the announcer say that the weather was uncharacteristic for this time of year. A feeling of uncertainty crept over her, but she was certain it was nothing. Probably just stress over school and all these ghost stories getting to her. Idly, she wondered if it had rained when Lewis went over the guard rail. Racing in that kind of weather was stupid but it would explain why his brakes failed.

She parked her car and went inside the building to her locker. Chrissy came by to chat with her, and she did it without breaking her locker door this time. Mckayla was overall in a better mood, which helped her get through the first few class periods. When it was time to go to Mr. Mumford’s class, Mckayla hurried up the stairs and darted inside to take her seat. Today was the day they would talk to him after class.

 

If it went successfully then Mckayla was going to do something she had never done before: cut class. They agreed through text message that they would do as such to get the interview done ahead of time so Emily could get started typing the project up. Honestly, she really did not want to skip class for anything but because the group wanted it she agreed. Mckayla hated making waves.

When everyone settled in, Mr. Mumford began the class with writing exercises that would take up the rest of the class period. He also was consulting the varying groups about their projects. When Mckayla’s group was called up, the 4 girls rose and went over to his desk. He looked up at them from behind his glasses.

 

“So, what did you girls decide you were going to do?” he asked, shuffling his papers.

 

The four of them looked at each other before Emily answered, “The death of Lewis Leggenda, and the controversy around it.”

 

Mr. Mumford dropped his papers onto the desk and looked at them sharply. “No. That topic is off limits. I will not let you cover that. Anything but _that_.”

 

“Is it _really_? You said any topic before 1990.” Chrissy spoke matter-of-factly.

 

“The answer is still no.” he replied gruffly. “Find something else or I will fail all of you.”

 

“You can’t do that.” Emily retorted nonchalantly. “That’s not fair, and I’m sure my mother would have something to say about it.”

 

“Damn your mother, Emily! I will not be blackmailed by one of my students!” he shot back.

 

“Just…please! Everyone calm down! I hate fighting!” Mckayla spoke.

 

Maya added, “We know you were a Rebel. Mckayla saw your post on Facebook.”

 

Mr. Mumford’s nostrils flared as he exhaled sharply. “That is a private matter that you four don’t need to know about.”

 

“But the post was public…” the blond girl started to say.

 

“Quiet Emily! You’ve done enough talking for today. Go sit down. Now.” He stated, almost growling.

 

She obeyed, walking back to her desk and resuming her work. Emily pouted for a few minutes before her face was serene again.

 

The teacher took a deep breath before settling into a state of semi-calm. “Listen. We can talk about it after class. You three only!” he said, motioning with a gesture to Mckayla, Maya and Chrissy.

 

“Yes sir.” Maya replied.

 

He nodded to them before ushering the trio back to their seats.

 

Class could not have gone by any slower for the girls. The assignment they had to do was boring beyond belief, and they wondered what Mr. Mumford was going to say to them. Collectively they felt apprehension and unbeknownst to Mckayla, each of them began to feel a chill on the inside. Only Maya took it seriously, and chewed her lip while silently praying to her gods.

 

The bell could not have rung sooner, and when the throng of students had filed out the three girls remained in their seats. Mr. Mumford rose from his desk and moved over to them, pulling up a vacant desk to sit in.

 

Chrissy was the first to speak, a tentative note to her voice, “Do you know who Lewis Leggenda’s little brother is? Could we talk to him?”

 

His eyes swam with emotion as he began to speak, rubbing his temples. “Listen. I'm sorry I blew up at you. I can't fail you. But the thing is...I had some kids, a few years back, asking the same things you did. I told them. Like a damn fool I told them. And I've spent the last five years drinking so I can get their obituaries out of my head. Lewis was like a brother to all of us. We were a family, us Rebels. And you don’t need to wake sleeping demons. All of us remember the day he died, and no matter how much time passes, the pain never goes away. Alcohol, cigarettes, nothing helps. That group of kids that found out too much were found dead, their insides ripped out. You lot don’t need to be a part of this. I’m trying to protect you from whatever is out there hurting all those people; whatever is making them feel our pain.”

 

Maya’s eyes began to water. “Oh Mr. Mumford…I knew this was a bad idea.”

 

His gaze then turned to her. “You got no idea how bad it really is. Just leave those of us still around with our memories of Lewis and whatever comforts we enjoy. The last thing his brother needs is more people coming up to him and askin’ about this for the millionth time. He’s tired and so are the rest of us.”

 

“Don’t tell me you believe the ghost stories.” Chrissy said with a grin.

 

“Believe you me, they aren’t ghost stories. They are real. I know they are ‘cause I’ve seen it with my own two eyes, Chrissy. And if you don’t stop, you’ll be sorry later after it’s too late to go back.” He replied, before adding: “And keep an eye on Emily. That girl doesn’t know when to quit. She’ll drag you deeper and deeper until it finally gets through to her that she’s in over her head.”

 

“Gladly.” Maya replied, grabbing her things.

 

“And one more thing; that girl is only out for herself and she could land you in trouble.” Mr. Mumford said before going back to his desk.

 

Mckayla and Chrissy quietly gathered their things and left with Maya, neither saying a word to each other. The silence continued throughout the day. Mr. Mumford’s words rang through Mckayla’s head the whole time, and she found it hard to concentrate.

Mumford was a man of few words, but he always chose them well. And that's what was bothering her. He wouldn't lie to her--she saw how he treated liars in the classroom. And as impossible as it seemed, there were dead children. Dead kids her age who had looked into this legend. And against her better judgment, she pressed on, almost waiting for something to happen just so it wouldn't eat her alive any longer.

Once at home, Mckayla opened her laptop and settled in, pulling up the Lewis Leggenda website. She went through the links again, searching for those kids. It took her a few minutes until she came across a page link labeled ‘not safe for work: crime scene photos.’ The photographer had no idea how someone could get access to this kind of information legally, but there it was. Who knew what was on the other side of that link? It could be graphic, or it could be chalk drawings. These things and more nagged at Mckayla’s brain to the point that she was able to summon up the courage to look.

The page loaded and Mckayla covered her mouth, forcing back the bile that arose from her throat. The remains of a person appeared on the monitor, with their chest ripped open and exposing their sinewy-covered ribs. The intestines were lopsided into a bloody and slimy heap that dangled over the floor, some of them missing. Looking like they had been _chewed_ off. A pool of red with pieces of skin and flesh flowed from the gaping wound, and what remained of the face looked like it was contorted into a scream. Bare cheekbones and muscle stared at Mckayla, who noted that the eyes were torn from their sockets. The lips had been peeled back, revealing red-spattered teeth. The photo was labeled ‘Becky Rogers, 18 yrs. old. 2007.’ Unable to hold herself back any longer, she closed the laptop and ran to the bathroom.


	5. Acceleration

                     _“All things truly wicked start from innocence.”_

_\---Ernest Hemingway_

Mckayla was sitting in a frayed booth at _Montezuma’s_ , the business owned by Chrissy’s family. The smells and sights of a cheap Mexican restaurant did nothing to pull that image from her mind. Three days had passed since she saw the crime scene photo and it had been seared into her brain since then. She had not told any of the others what she had seen, and why should she? Mckayla did not want to make them upset, especially Maya. But Mr. Mumford will not let them do the project anyway so there was no point.

Maya and Emily were meeting here to talk about the prospect of a new project even though Chrissy and Emily were not happy about it. Mckayla herself did not care either way, but she was slightly disappointed. Maya was happy to be doing something else and already suggested that they cover a few topics in the 60’s. Mckayla could not say she was thrilled at the prospect of covering topics around the hippie movement. The Lewis Leggenda story had been nagging at her brain. They had gotten so close to the truth of the story and they were cut short. Mckayla hated that almost as much as Emily did. But what could they do about it?

Emily walked in first, taking a quick glance around and crinkled her nose before walking over to the booth. She slid in and adjusted her glasses. “This place has seen better days, hasn’t it?” The blond inquired casually.

 

Mckayla shot her a look. “Be nice, they don’t have much money!”

 

“I can see that.” Emily retorted.

Mckayla glared at her again as Maya sat down “Hi guys!” the hippy greeted.

 

“Hi.” Emily replied.

 

“Chrissy should get on her break soon. But in the mean time, how about we order something?” the photographer offered.

 

“Sounds like a plan!” Maya replied.

 

“I’m not sure I would.” Emily added.

 

“Quit being a bitch!” Mckayla snapped. “God, I can’t take you anywhere!”

 

“Just chill out, ‘Kayla! It’s not worth it!” Maya begged with a slight flail.

 

“Yes, Mom.” Emily said sarcastically before staring intently at the table.

 

The three quietly studied the menu until Chrissy walked up carrying a tray. “Ready to place your order?” she asked.

 

The trio looked up at the sound of her voice. Maya and Mckayla smiled at her. “So you’ll be our waitress?” Maya inquired.

 

“Of course! Don’t think I wouldn’t be.” She winked. “So what will it be?”

 

“I’ll just have a coke.” Emily answered.

 

“Me too!” Maya added.

 

“I’ll have a coke and nachos.” Mckayla said.

 

“Not feeling very creative today are we?” the greaser girl jested, placing a hand on her hip. “It’s fine. Three cokes and some nachos; got it!”

 

With that, Chrissy disappeared into the kitchen in a whirlwind of Spanish. Mckayla took this time to look around the restaurant. It was not exactly packed but it seemed to have decent business. The chatter in the restaurant was not too loud except for the kitchen where the Vasquez family rattled off in their native tongue to one another over the clatter of dishes. Near the kitchen entrance was a bar that had several old men sitting with their elbows on the aged wood, drinking their various amber liquids. One of the waitresses worked the bar, and Mckayla had a suspicion that the woman was Chrissy’s mother. Some of the men swayed slightly in their seats as they slipped deeper and deeper into intoxication, which made Mckayla shake her head. It was a sad sight to see.

 

Chrissy pushed the swinging kitchen door open with her hip and came out with three drinks on her tray and some plain cheese nachos on a plate. She strode over to the table and served everyone their orders. “It’s on the house, by the way.” She stated before taking a seat.

“You don’t have to!” Maya exclaimed.

 

“Papa insisted.” She answered, wiping her brow. “And with that, I’m now on break. So, any project ideas?”

 

“Nothing anyone can agree on.” Mckayla responded.

 

Emily just sighed while Maya sipped her drink.

 

“Maybe we can talk Mr. Mumford into changing his mind? “ Mckayla suggested after eating a nacho.

 

“I think Emily fucked that over for us royally.” Chrissy replied with a snort.

 

Emily glared at Chrissy. “Well what you have had me do?”

 

“Not blackmail him.” Maya spoke.

 

Emily just fell silent. Chrissy snickered.

 

“You guys were really getting into it, weren’t you?” Maya asked, taking another sip of her drink.

 

“I believe that’s accurate.” Emily said idly.

 

“I have always been interested in Lewis Leggenda. No one is more respected than him in the greaser community.” Chrissy replied. “I just wanted to know more about the guy and how he lived. Yet Mr. Mumford is so damn touchy and superstitious!”

 

“Well he controls our grades so I guess he can be that way.” Mckayla sighed irritably.

 

“You ok ‘Kayla?” Chrissy inquired as she sniped a nacho.

 

Mckayla did not have time to answer before the woman at the bar called the Latina over. She watched as the two exchanged some Spanish, the woman motioning to one of the men at the bar. Chrissy’s eyes got huge for a moment before she darted back into the kitchen. Curiosity overtaking her, Mckayla got up and walked over to the gentleman Chrissy had seen.

And then she understood why Chrissy had flipped. It was Mr. Mumford, in an old t-shirt and jeans, drinking what Mckayla suspected as being whiskey. He sure reeked of it and he was swaying a bit in his seat. “Mr. Mumford?”

He smiled sadly and looked up at Mckayla. “How are you, sweetie? Having any troubles today?”

She could hardly believe what she was seeing. He looked and acted so different than he did when in class! But…an idea crept into Mckayla’s head.

 

“It’s just the project is all. We were looking forward to learning about Lewis Leggenda.” She said with disappointment in her tone.

 

“Lew? You guys still want to learn about good ‘ole Lewis? Well go ahead! Knock yourself out!” he said with a smile and rosy cheeks. “Everybody should know who he is!”

 

“But, you said that we couldn’t talk to his brother…”

 

“Nonsense! Go talk to Stevie! I’m sure he’d be glad to help!”

 

“Stevie?”

 

“His name is now Stevie Legend. Here, I’ll write down his number for you!”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old recipt and jotted a phone number down. “Tell him I sent ya. You’re sure to do well now! Just be careful not to bother Lewis too much. He doesn’t like it when people get too nosey!”

 

Mckayla blinked. “Sure. Will do, sir.” She replied, taking the slip of paper. On the way back to the others she felt she had a bounce in her step. Hopefully this time there would be no more hold-ups. The project was back on! Though she did not expect to slip to Emily’s level and blatantly manipulate someone, let alone her teacher. She felt guilty, but she could see why Emily resorts to those tactics; they are quite effective.

 

She sat back down excitedly. “The project is back on! I just talked to Mr. Mumford!”

 

“What?!” Maya exclaimed just as Chrissy sat back down.

 

Emily just smiled, knowingly. “Good work, Mckayla.”

 

“I talked to him and he agreed to let us do it. Hell, he even gave me the name of Lewis’ brother and his phone number!” the photographer added.

 

“That’s awesome!” Chrissy replied.

 

“I’m not so sure about this…” Maya said, crestfallen.

 

“What do you mean?” Emily prodded.

 

“I feel this cold chill in my heart and it can’t be anything good. I feel like we’re being marked.” She said quietly. “Have you guys felt it too?”

 

Chrissy looked away and laughed nervously. “Of course not! You’re just being paranoid!”

Emily and Mckayla said nothing in response.

 

“I know I promised that I would help you guys, but I don’t think I can continue with this project.” Maya said, looking down.

 

“C’mon Maya! Everything is fine! Don’t worry!” Chrissy replied.

 

Mckayla knew better. In her heart, Maya may be right. But she felt a drive to finish it, no matter what happened. The project had her in its spell, and she just had to complete. She just had to know, but she was not sure why. She went along with it anyways, just to sate her curiosity.

 

“Besides it’s pretty much too late to turn back now.” Emily stated. “Like or hate it, it’s just a school project. When it’s over, we can all get on with our lives.”

 

“I don’t know. You guys seem to be getting kind of obsessed with it. Especially Emily.” Maya commented, glancing at the junior reporter.

 

Emily just shrugged. “It’s interested me for a long time. Besides, I have my own reasons for pursuing this knowledge.”

 

“Like what?” Chrissy asked.

 

“For example, why the hell did all the Rebels abandon their loved ones in death to be buried around an empty grave? My grandfather did that after he promised my grandmother before she died. Secondly, I just don’t understand the hype! He was just some greaser who died in the 50’s! I don’t get why the subculture worships him so much. Lastly, what made him so special?” Emily rambled.

 

Chrissy looked at her, amused. “Listen, blondie. I got your answer right here.”

 

“The go ahead.” Emily snapped.

 

“All the dolls and jacks wanna be like him, cause he's got class. He had the game all figured out, and it was the only game in town worth playin'. He'd put his neck on the line for 'em. And so, they joined him six feet under. And that, doll, is loyalty ya can't buy."

 

Emily set her jaw and stiffened her posture. “I still don’t see it.”

 

The greaser girl chuckled. "A doll like you never would."

 

Mckayla could not entirely see the appeal either. He was a very good looking man, but they were not going to know much more than that until they talked to Stevie. Her heart raced thinking about what kind of knowledge this man could impart to them. Her mind careened on the adrenaline and the excitement. But that familiar coldness seemed to return and spread through her. Mckayla was beyond caring about that now. Emily had struck something inside of her. She was practically a new woman, ready to throw herself at the feet of a dead man and his walking condemned, listening to their tales. She would take in his cruel fate like sweet music. And she knew in her heart of hearts she was going too far. She didn't care. She had tasted something forbidden, something dangerous...and like racing on Devil’s Finger, she knew it might kill her. Still...it felt...so good.

 

* * *

 

A gunshot rang out in the house as the phone rang. Nothing quite got Stevie's nerves going like a phone call. Every time he picked up, he waited to hear the dead voice on the other line, the voice of his brother. He was terrified of curses, and the years that had rolled on since Lewis died had not helped either.

But he'd almost do anything to hear his brother again, not that it would ever happen. It would either be his brother or somebody wanting to talk to him about his brothers. It never failed.

He sighed as he picked up the phone. On the other end was a calm voice that sounded like it belonged to a pretty girl.

“Mr. Legend?” she asked curiously.

“Mr. Legend was my dad. Call me Stevie. What do you want, doll? If it’s about my brothers, I told the papers everything I know in ’59. Pull it up in the library or something. Leave me alone!” he responded, gradually getting more irritated as he spoke. The phone was almost dropped into its cradle when he heard her speak again.

“Richard Mumford sent us to you. It’s for a school report. We only need thirty minutes out of your day, Stevie.”

He paused for a moment, raising the phone back to his ear. “Richie sent you? Well figures he wouldn’t learn after the last bunch. Thirty minutes you say? That’s all you get outta me tomorrow. Give me your names so I know who to expect.”

 

She responded rather quickly. “I’m Emily Lang and my friends Mckayla Valentine and Chrissy Vasquez are coming too. When will you be wanting us over?”

 

“Two o’ clock, sharp.” He replied gruffly before giving her his address. “And please, don't drag this out again...I'm sure you're a lovely person, well-meaning and all that, but I've had enough fucking reporters and busybodies coming in to make a fucking Lifetime movie of the week about my dark, troubled brother.”

“Gotcha.” Emily replied, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Stevie just hung up the phone and sat down, rubbing his temples. The nightmare was about to start all over again. _Richard, you damn fool._

 

* * *

 

The girls arrived at Stevie’s townhome the next day, slipping away from school to do so. They climbed the weathered steps until they reached the front door. No one had spoken a word to each other since leaving the school’s parking lot. A new feeling overcame them as they stood at this threshold, something heavy and dark; akin to the feeling of hearing a lone cemetery bell toll. Beyond this door lay the remnants of a world that had ceased to be. A place sacred to the dead was about to be breached by their footsteps.

Emily was the first to raise her hand to knock while Mckayla glanced around. An 8ft privacy fence encircled the yard out of necessity, but the gate had been unlocked. The yard itself was green mottled with pale spots as the coming winter was making it wither and die. A twisted oak tree towered above the fence and stretched to the roof, its bare fingers reaching to the grey sky as a lonely porch swing creaked and groaned in the wind.

A crackled, aged voice answered them from behind the door. “Chrissy, Emily and Mckayla; right?” it asked.

“Yes. We spoke on the phone.” Emily called back.

 

A series of locks clicked and the door swung open to reveal Stevie. He stood at about 5’11, wearing faded khakis and an old shirt. He was leaning against the door casually, sharp brown eyes focused on them and a cigarette perched between his lips. “C’mon in.” he said gruffly, moving aside to allow them passage. The trio stepped over the threshold and into the dated living room.

There was a color TV crackling in the corner, but that was about as modern as it got. It seemed to Chrissy that he had kept all of the old 50’s furniture, from the squared couches and chairs to the faded ottomans. What struck her as odd were the bare walls and shelves; there were no family photos or memorabilia of any kind anywhere. In fact, the feel she got from the place reminded her of a creepy museum.

Stevie took his seat in one of the chairs while the three girls sat down on the couch, trying to ignore the dust cloud that rose to meet them.

“Been awhile since I had company.” He offered.

 

“It’s fine.” Mckayla said, dusting off her jeans.

When the trio got settled, Emily pulled out her notepad and a pen, perched to take notes, while Chrissy and Mckayla sat in silence.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to do this, Stevie. We really appreciate it.” Emily spoke.

“This is really going to help us out.” Chrissy added.

“Also, I'm going to be taking notes if that's alright. To make sure we aren't losing track.” Emily said.

"Listen, kids, I only agreed because Richie sent you. This family's cursed! You'd do best to keep out of it. Take all the notes you like, but for God's sake, don't go digging up secrets that weren't meant to be heard." Stevie replied gruffly.

Chrissy just smirked. “Cursed? I thought that was just a bunch of crap people made up to scare their kids!”

Emily sighed. “Duly noted sir. But secrets? What do you mean? Everything we've found is out in the open.”

“It can't be that bad, could it? The no body thing is pretty freaky but...” Mckayla started before Stevie cut her off.

“Freaky isn't what my brother was. He was the stuff of nightmares. When freaks live too long, the state stuffs them in institutions or lets em burn out. Lewis, he wasn't either...Lewis made all the other greasers scared. Lewis wasn't someone you fucked with. Lewis fucked with you. Lewis...was something different. He was a monster, even in life. He had a look in his eyes that said Hell had passed him over, and Satan didn't want his company. To put this in perspective--every little thing that nutjob The 51 Killer did is still out there, still can be read in the papers, the media, what have you. Lewis? He was so bad they erased him." He spoke while puffing on his cigarette.

“Erased him?” Mckayla prodded.

Stevie answered, "I mean they deleted every single mention they could without looking suspicious! This isn't _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ , they couldn't just cut the him out of town records totally. It'd look too damn suspicious!” He paused for a moment to look at Chrissy. “And you, little miss tough girl, don't be so dismissive. The dead don't rest easy, always. You've just been damn lucky!”

Chrissy snickered. “Those reporters didn't drop dead, did they? Not everyone who learns about Lewis dies. Otherwise there'd be no one to tell the story!”

"Smart girl. You're not as dumb as you look. Of course they don't all die. The LUCKY ones die. No, the worst ones are the ones who survive. You'll see that horror, every waking moment til you die. Nobody can help ya. The day you die is a sweet release, but no one's sure what happens. The worst ones...end up with him...they say if it's wet and dark, you can hear their screams if you try."

Emily leaned in interestedly. “What exactly do you mean 'with him?’”

 

Stevie met her gaze with a serious look. “What the hell do you think I mean, doll? My brother never was the type to lie down! If he finds out you kids have been snooping around, he’ll come for you. Just like he went for those girls five years ago. And if you looked at those pictures online, you’ll know they paid the price for what they learned. Are you lot so sure you want that?”

“It’s all just an urban legend, Stevie. Such things aren’t true.” Emily replied coolly, jotting information down.

"Kids, you've heard of the American Dream? He lived it. He was the American nightmare, and he loved every damn second. But he died. Painfully. He wouldn't stop screaming. The dead don't rest easy, not dead like him. When you're dreamin' they're wide awake. And they’re restless." He stated, casting his gaze over the three of them.

“My brother hated the society we were in, and lived life his own way. He never gave one damn for authority. Lewis was the bad boy of town, and everyone knew it. There was only one soul that soothed him, and that was Betty. He loved her somethin’ fierce, and you don’t see a love like that very often. But when those guys raped her that was it. Good thing he never learned that she died or we all would have been in trouble. She was enough to make him come back for blood, and he hasn’t stopped since.”

“Did those three girls perform the dare?” Mckayla asked tentatively.

Stevie paused for a moment. “I don’t know. But you lot had better not even think about it! He probably knows she’s dead now, and if you remind him it wouldn’t surprise me that he’d climb out of his grave to go lookin’ for the cocky bitch who said it. That’s the kind of guy he was. Nobody fucked with him and got away with it. EVER.”

 

The three girls looked at each other for a moment before Emily spoke up. “What about Billy Baumgartner?”

 

Stevie smiled a bit at the mention. “Billy? HAH! He was like another brother to Lewis and the family. More subdued than my brother, but make no mistake. Whatever Lewis did, Billy was never far behind. I remember the day they fried him. The guy had a smile on his face, and his last words were that he was going to join Lewis and that he didn’t regret killing those blowhards who messed with Lewis’ brakes!”

“You think it wasn’t an accident?” Chrissy asked.

“I KNOW it wasn’t an accident!” Stevie exclaimed, leaping out of his chair and causing the three to jump. “My brother took good care of that motorcycle! It was his pride! The brakes only failed because one of those assholes messed with it! They murdered my brother! And he won't rest. He never will. The dead have names, doll. They have names and they live forever in the memories of society. Bloody Mary. The Ripper. Lewis Legend.”

He put a hand over his heart, breathing heavily for a moment before he sat back down. “Sorry, girls. I didn’t mean to scare you, but everyone thinks it was an accident when I know for a fact it wasn’t. Lewis would not have been so careless. You just had to know him.”

They just nodded to him, taking a moment to recover from the shock. When they had calmed down, Mckayla spoke up. “What can you tell us about the three girls?”

“I’ll only say this: they got what they paid for. And if you start havin’ the signs, then you’ve gone too far and not even God will help you. It always starts with his music, then you bein watched. You’ll catch glimpses of him wherever you go. That’s what happened to them. They came back to me begging me for something they could do to make it stop. But it won’t stop. Not until he claims you. But if it starts happenin’ to you lot, you'd better run. You'd better run and hide and pray he never finds you! Because they'll never find your body! Not in one piece, at very least...”

 

“Thank you, Stevie. I believe we have all that we need.” Emily stated, rising swiftly from the couch and making for the door. Chrissy and Mckayla followed soon after. When that door opened they tasted the fresh, clean air. They made it back to their cars parked on the street and paused to savor it.

“Holy SHIT. That guy is crazy!” Chrissy exclaimed, lighting a cigarette.

 

“No joke.” Emily replied as she caught her breath. “I managed to glean some useful things outside of his ghost stories.”

 

“I was too busy being scared shitless.” Mckayla responded, unlocking her car door. “I’m going home if you guys want to join me.”

 

“Sounds great.” Chrissy responded as Emily nodded. The three got in their cars and departed for Mckayla’s.

 

The photographer’s mind spun as she made her way home. The excitement and enthusiasm she possessed earlier were gone. Ghost story or not, Stevie had shaken her. She never wanted to hear about this man ever again! They would finish the report and leave him behind for good. Maya was right, and Mckayla was going to quit while she was ahead. Before it was too late. Faintly, she heard a tense, over tuned guitar string snap.

**Author's Note:**

> R&R, please! I am not a native of Milwaukee, WI but I did the best I could while taking a few liberties for the story. People, Locations, Events, etc are either fictitious, or used fictitiously. WARNING: THIS FIC WILL CONTAIN DARK/TRIGGERING MATERIAL LATER ON! SAID CHAPTERS WILL BE MARKED! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
> 
> Maya is a shout out to MayaShea, btw guys.  
> I hope you like the story!


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